Entrance Antiphon
Look to your covenant, O Lord,
and forget not the life of your poor ones for ever.
Arise, O God, and defend your cause,
and forget not the cries of those who seek you.
First Reading: 1 Kings 19:9.11-13. A reading from the first book of the Kings
Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord God.
When Elijah reached Horeb, the mountain of God, he went into the cave and spent the night in it. Then he was told, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord.’ Then the Lord himself went by. There came a mighty wind, so strong it tore the mountains and shattered the rocks before the Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake. But the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire. But the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there came the sound of a gentle breeze. And when Elijah heard this, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
Responsorial Psalm: Lord, show us your mercy and love, and grant us your salvation.
- I will hear what the Lord God has to say,
a voice that speaks of peace.
His help is near for those who fear him
and his glory will dwell in our land. (R.)
- Mercy and faithfulness have met;
justice and peace have embraced.
Faithfulness shall spring from the earth
and justice look down from heaven. (R.)
- The Lord will make us prosper
and our earth shall yield its fruit.
Justice shall march before him
and peace shall follow his steps. (R.)
Second Reading: Romans 9:1-5. A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans
I would willingly be condemned if it could help my people.
What I want to say is no pretence; I say it in union with Christ – it is the truth – my conscience in union with the Holy Spirit assures me of it too. What I want to say is this: my sorrow is so great, my mental anguish so endless, I would willingly be condemned and be cut off from Christ if it could help my brothers of Israel, my own flesh and blood. They were adopted as sons, they were given the glory and the covenants; the Law and the ritual were drawn up for them, and the promises were made to them. They are descended from the patriarchs and from their flesh and blood came Christ who is above all, God for ever blessed! Amen.
Gospel Acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia! I hope in the Lord, I trust in his word. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 14:22-33. A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
Command me to come to you over the water.
Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he would send the crowds away. After sending the crowds away he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, while the boat, by now far out on the lake, was battling with a heavy sea, for there was a head-wind. In the fourth watch of the night he went towards them, walking on the lake, and when the disciples saw him walking on the lake they were terrified. ‘It is a ghost’ they said, and cried out in fear. But at once Jesus called out to them, saying, ‘Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.’ It was Peter who answered. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water.’ ‘Come’ said Jesus. Then Peter got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus across the water, but as soon as he felt the force of the wind, he took fright and began to sink. ‘Lord! Save me!’ he cried. Jesus put out his hand at once and held him. ‘Man of little faith,’ he said ‘why did you doubt?’ And as they got into the boat the wind dropped. The men in the boat bowed down before him and said, ‘Truly, you are the Son of God.’
REFLECTION
by Nick Brodie (Leo’s Lens)
Approaching the frightened apostles who were struggling in darkness upon the water, Jesus tells them to be courageous. In tempestuous times, Pope Leo also calls us to have courage for ‘building a world in which everyone can flourish’. Pursuit of the Common Good is, he intimates, a courageous calling.
We all ‘are called to unite listening and courage, prayer and responsibility, so that,’ the Pope says, ‘the human city may become a more fitting place to live.’
Reminding us that insistent and consistent courage is important when facing massive change as we are now, for instance, the Pope wants to have courage to consider the true ethics of artificial intelligence. Mimicry of human values is not enough. Rather, the whole development and use of AI must serve ‘shared standards of social justice’. Each of us should take up the challenge to make this tremendous innovation in human life work for justice.
Sometimes, courage means embracing or driving change. The pope encourages us – see the word courage in the middle? – to reflect on how truly courageous men and women helped history truly progress. He especially reminds us of people who ‘contributed to making history more humane.’ That is the kind of courage Jesus surely wants us to exhibit now.